A balance of views in new labour cabinet - important voice and influence

[Dartwarbler]

Not sure if already a thread.
anyone else clocked Shabana Mahmood appointment as Secretary of State for Justice

she’s a barrister

in the concerns for labours stance on women and gender act reform, here are her views

“" In another 2024 interview, with Genevieve Holl-Allen at The Daily Telegraph, Mahmood said that she was concerned that "many women have had to go to court, usually in employment tribunals, in order to clarify ... their right to say that biological sex is real and is immutable – a position that I also agree with" and that women "shouldn’t be in the position of losing their jobs" for espousing those views.[45][46]

Starmer talked about building back trust and no "performance" politics.
This issue is a test case of that.

I'm not sure how that statement squares with what looks like a pro-Hamas position but it's a start

There is also this post from a reliable source on twitter

Our new justice secretary

what looks like a pro-Hamas position but it's a start

What pro-Hamas stance?

Malcolm Clark alleges on X there are 6 GC cabinet members. I wonder who they are?

https://x.com/TwisterFilm/status/1809158932897644567?t=ytJdF1g_OKBTsVb9RQUhyg&s=19

The only cabinet members I can think of who I've seen put their heads over this particular parapet are Shabana Mahmood and Wes Streeting. Are there any others?

Yes, I've seen it suggested that Rachel Reeves and Bridget Phillipson might be GC but that's not supported by anything I've seen them say - quite the opposite.

And even if these 2 - and others - are secretly GC then that is frankly no use any more as far as I'm concerned. They've been safely elected and secured themselves a cabinet post, it's time to let us know who they are.

I think that might have been before the new cabinet and Lisa Nandy got Culture.

This is a good start. It's an aspect barely acknowledged by the political class. Women have had to crowdfund huge amounts of money and go through an often stressful and traumatic process dragging out months or years just to uphold the rights that we keep being told are already enshrined in the Equality Act.

When the discussions over the GRA and the EA start happening this needs to be front and centre and the politicians and activists cannot be allowed to trot out weak platitudes such as "Women already have sex based rights under the Equality Act" because the Equality Act has not been working in practice for women.

Cabinet members who have expressed definite gender critical views/support for Labour Women's Declaration

Shabana Mahmood, MP Birmingham Ladywood, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
Jo Stevens, MP Cardiff Central, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
Pat McFadden, MP for Wolverhampton South East. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

Recent switch
Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
[given TRAs were part of the coalition that almost lost Streeting his seat and have been rabid in attacking him we can hope he is getting firmer in his views ]

Borderline
Rachael Reeves, Chancellor

Phillipson seems all over the place.

More to the point is how many cabinet members are known strong supporters of TRA positions.

Active TRAs seem to be Rayner and Nandy.
Also possibly Steve Reed, Environment Secretary, Member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights.
Peter Kyle
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, Member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT+ Rights. Also backed Rosie's free speech though.

Any others with strong opinions anyone know? As far as I can see everyone else has avoided the whole affair or keeps flipping. Obviously Lammy said some TRA stuff years back, but looks like he has run away from the debate ever since.We could have scared him into changing his mind. If most of the cabinet is neutralist that is our advantage.

Anyway we have four people in good positions especially Health, Justice.

Meanwhile all some people can say about Angela Rayner, is that her suit was not to their taste. Just sick.

Any others with strong opinions anyone know? As far as I can see everyone else has avoided the whole affair or keeps flipping. Obviously Lammy said some TRA stuff years back, but looks like he has run away from the debate ever since.We could have scared him into changing his mind. If most of the cabinet is neutralist that is our advantage.

Lammy was interviewed a few days ago. He didn't really address the issues just doubled down on women's views and rights being unimportant whilst simultaneously describing himself as a 'feminist'.

Lammy is a TRA, no doubt.

He is, but even more than this he is a man who cannot bear to be wrong about anything ever.

He was a key instigator of the GRA 2004. I don't think his arrogance will ever allow him to acknowledge how flawed it was or what problems it's caused.